By Anne Levin
Like police departments in communities across the country, Princeton’s has a designated parking stall in front of its headquarters designated specifically for carrying out private sales that originated online.
Known as Safe Exchange Zones, these areas make the idea of meeting a stranger from the internet feel less risky than it might in an open parking lot or private home. Princeton Police want to remind the public that buying or selling items via sites like eBay or Craigslist — an increasingly common method of commerce — can be completed in this safe environment.
Princeton Police first designated its lobby and front parking lot as a Safe Exchange Zone in 2016.
“We’ve actually had this for several years, but not everyone is aware of it,” said Capt. Thomas Lagomarsino. “There was an older, smaller sign and we wanted to make a new one that explains how it works. We’re just putting it back out there to the public.”
While officers do not verify, monitor, or take part in online transactions, the Safe Exchange Zones — sometimes called SafeTrade Stations — offer the reassurance of having police nearby.
Lawrenceville, South Brunswick, and East Brunswick are among the area police departments with designated safe transaction spots.
“Recent national incidents have indicated that in-person sales, transactions, and exchanges originating from online marketplaces such as Craigslist have experienced an increase in violence, fraud, and theft by deception,” reads a notice on the East Brunswick website. “In an effort to promote safer transactions between strangers, we are encouraging residents
to use their local police department parking lots and lobbies as a meeting place for in-person transactions
to occur.”
The website safetradestations.com recommends taking certain steps when carrying out a transaction in a designated safe zone.
“Ask for proof of the seller’s identity, if the item is something that might have been stolen,” it reads. “Many police departments (but not all) are willing to check the serial number of an item for sale to determine if it’s in a database of stolen property.
“If you’re carrying a large sum of cash,” it continues, “either before or after the transaction, don’t make it obvious, and be careful to ensure that you’re not followed after the transaction. Beware of common scams, like checks for an amount higher than the amount of the deal; ‘cashier’s checks’ that are forged and presented when the bank is closed.”